Must have tools for circuit testing bench 12

[machmech]

Hello Folks

I am curious and would like to see a short and simple list,( I will research the options) or ask questions regarding preference if necessary.

Basically, What are your favorite and or must have tools on your work bench? Just in case it is inappropriate to mention name brands (I don't want to advertise or offend anyone) we can refrain from this, Those in the field know what is quality . Although Minimums and maximum requirements are good.

Your input is appreciated

Thanks, Chuck

 

[Skogsgurra]

Yes machmec, it has an echo - because it is so empty.

It is empty since I am travelling a lot and doing field investigations on drive systems. What I carry with me is this:

A yokogawa OR 300. A combined scope/recorder with four isolated analogue channels. Can take 500 V AC between channels and channel/gnd. 12 bit resolution and 2 us/sample (that is fast enough for drive systems). Eight digital switchable between TTL/24V/contact closure.

An isolation amplifier. 1200 V maximum input. Takes dangerous/high powered signals down to earth.

Fused probes. Good for 1000 V 50 kA.

A PicoScope 3206 USB dual channel scope adapter. Turns my VAIO (1.25 kg and 7 hrs battery) into a 200 MHz scope. Love that combination!

The VAIO lightweight computer.

One or two current clamps with mains adapters (running out of battery just before an important event takes place is not allowed here). I usually have one 1000 A DC clamp and a Tek 80i-110. The latter is semi-fast (tr around 4 us) and gives me 100 mV/A - which is good to have in some cases.

A camera.

Adapters and insulation-piercing probes. The Hirschmann KLEPS 2700 is something you should have a look at if you do not already use them.

For very demanding work, I bring a LeCroy 324 (now I need to carry two pieces of luggage). But it is amazing how often you get results with the light-weight devices. They make you very flexible and you can go places without worring about damage in luggage handling and losing your instruments in transit. I can pack it all - including toothbrush, an extra shirt and underwear - in a cabin bag.


Gunnar Englund

http://www.gke.org

 

[Skogsgurra]

Read LeCroy 424. I don't think 324 exists...

Gunnar Englund

http://www.gke.org

 

[itsmoked]

Skogs:
That PicoScope 3206 looks like a very nice tool. pretty nice price too. If you add a $1,400 laptop it still comes in under my Tektronix. (Okay I'd maybe sell my car and buy a 3206 since I have 3 laptops now) Wait I'd still need isolation, and now it would have to be external!!

What do you use for an isolation amplifier?? I've never found a good one.

And your VAIO lasts 7hrs?!?!? Mine never, ever, ever lasted more than 1.25hrs!!! And it is a lightweight one (read: small screen, low speed) [That's the one with the dead battery pack I unsuccessfully tried to repair and am now struggling to justify buying a $150 replacement pack for.]

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[itsmoked]

Hey skogs another question.
How does the Pico work with respect to the mass of data you end up with? I know that some tools, like my logic analyser, which spews out a ton of data then poses a problem of trying to search through all the logged data to find(or not!) what you are actually interested in.

Does their software work well in this aspect? Or do you find yourself groaning over the prospect of searching for your events?

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Yashu]

itsmoked,

I too have a TDS720. Simply the best for field work. Fluke is trying hard with their color LCD handhelds, but, Tek has much better specs.

For the lab bench,
Just got a new 350MHz Tek DPO4034 deep memory scope with CAN demodulation option. It's hard to even consider turing on my old TDS360 with this new scope. Definately the wave of the future.

PICO is nice (re-sell them for automotive app), but last I saw, there's no anti-alaising front end and never did like PC based scopes... so, I'm biased. Also, I'm unsure of the waveform update rates on these things.

 

[Yashu]

oops... I mean I have a THS720 ... not.. TDS720.

 

[itsmoked]

Hi Yashu;

I actually got a bank loan (decades ago) to purchase a Tek 2460 for my fledgling part time business. It was fabulous to be able to look into the private world of high speed signals. (4 at once). But once I got my THS I rarely turned on my 2460 anymore because the 2460 was so big I kinda had to take my work to the scope instead of the scope to the work. The THS is like a standard text book you just need to stand on end. And the isolation brought a safety and freedom totally unavailable in the 2460.

Anyone want a 2460?

Wow Yashu; $8,000 for a scope. I have looked at Tek scopes less and less as they become less and less competitive. I look at a nice scope like that 4034 and I start thinking... $850 in parts -> $8k out the door.. Am I being given the shaft? I surely would like a color scope though. So often I wish I could expand both traces to cover the screen but can't because of the confusion that will result.

You should really enjoy that bugger.

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Yashu]

itsmoked,

Your x10 markup from parts to product seems reasonable. Lets just say that all the firmware and VHDL for the FPGA's isn't free.

I usually don't promote anybody's product, but, the Tek DPO4000 is quite impressive. No more triggering here and there... and dual timebase delaying with intensified traces.. and hand demodulating SPI/I2C data... and trying to figure out how to zoom in on stuff. It as 10M point per channel. The 350 MHz BW still displays 900 MHz pulse envelopes which is great for hopping transceiver designs.

I didn't think I would like the force super-knob thing on it, but, it works quite well.

We all know instrumentation is a liability, so, I usually depreciate and pass on the cost to the customer. Don't think I could develop today's competitive consumer products with my old analog Tek scope, so, gotta do what you gotta do.

I hoping this one will last me till retirement... (right).

 

[machmech]

Hi zappedagain - Yup those are magic fingers and a must have, They can easily be moved around on bench.

Whoa!! yes Keith

You could buy New Yankee work shop for that price....And look what skogsgura whips out of his bag of tricks really Big time awesome Then when you think it safe to go outside along comes Yashu sure is nice to see what the Big Guns use.
If I spend that much it had better be labeled Harley Davidson!

Also some nice products from bk precision, the Hakko 808 looks to be handy and easy to use. Does the tip clog much?

scottyUK - Those are nice work stations from Pace I favor the pen type grips I'm not as steady with a pistol grip.

Chuck

 

[itsmoked]

The Hakko 808 has probably plugged on me once... Seems to be quite robust and the solder catching vial cleans easily. Nice unit.

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[MacGyverS2000]

It killed me when I learned the scopes were heading down the Windows XP road... if I pay that much for a scope, I don't want a 2-bit OS running on it, I want tight hand-coded assembly They rarely die, but when that OS goes balls up (and I've seen it happen), you might as well send the whole thing back in.


Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[Warpspeed]

Ah, but then you get windows update.

Every few weeks you can download a few more megabytes of patches to fix all the problems.

 

[zeitghost]

I'm a Luddite.

I like my antique TEK465A... it doesn't suffer from aliasing unlike the Tek digital scopes I use...

 

[itsmoked]

A TEK465A wow a true functioning antique!


Those must be the most produced piece of test equipment ever made. They must have built 10M of those. I cut my scope teeth on one.

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Warpspeed]

Me too, I have a 100Mhz 465A at home, and still use it for most things.

Digitals are fine, excellent for some things, but they can sometimes be a trap for the unwary.

I believe there is an argument for owning both types of oscilloscope, even if the old analog dinosaur is rarely used.

 

[zeitghost]

I'd use the 465 before using the Tek TDS2002 for a lot of things.

I especially dislike the way that the digital scope can mislead you about the timebase setting sometimes.

Twiddle the timebase knob & get what appears to be a correct sinewave, except the frequency is out by a factor of a 1000 or so... realise this & twiddle the knob again to get the correct reading... not a problem with the 465, it's obvious that a 1MHz signal won't synch up at 20ms/div.


As I said, I'm a Luddite.

Had a good one the other day when a student was trying to measure low level noise coming out of a filter; it was all imaginary, generated by the input cct of the scope, proved by using a cheapo hitachi analogue scope.

Progress they call it...

 

[itsmoked]

I have never had any problems like that with my THS720, nada! None! (That I noticed..)

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Yashu]

I imagine variable cutoff analog -or- switched cap antialias filters on the front end of scopes may become commonplace soon.... then, we can chalk it up as progress.

Until then, I usually go out to the fastest timebase and walk things back to determine what I'm looking at.

Both HP and Tek are trying to generate that classic subtle analog intensity display digitally... and, personally I think they're doing a good job.. so much as I finally gave away my 1st scope... TEK2235.

Plus, the waveform update rates are becoming quite impressive. I'll wager on analog scopes going obsolete soon (along with Fax machines).

 

[Skogsgurra]

Isn't sampling, Nyquist and aliasing taught in schools any more?

Gunnar Englund

http://www.gke.org

 

[Warpspeed]

No Gunnar, that is old stuff.

All you need now is a couple of years experience of using software, and you will know absolutely everything there is to know about electronics.